A deck can have many purposes – entertainment, relaxation, or even making important life decisions while staring at the stars. As you might be aware that since it is an outdoor space, it’s more prone to bear the brunt of various external elements such as rain, snow, wind, and the strong rays of the sun. As we are the owners, it is our job to ensure that we’ve taken the necessary precautions to protect them from the same.
Having said this, choosing a deck stain that complements your home can be, for the lack of a better word, a bit tricky. When it comes to deck stains, there’s both good news and not-so-good news.
The good news is that there are several deck stain options available in the market. At the same time, the not-so-good news is that there are several deck stain options in the market!
With so many choices, the task at hand can surely become daunting. Not only do you have to consider the lasting and budget, but you also need to pay careful attention to the look of the deck stain.
To help you find the best deck stain, we have decided to enumerate some useful tips that you can follow to make it a tad easier. So, let’s get started!
The Material Used to Create Your Deck
The material of your deck plays an important role here as it gives you an idea about the overall flexibility within which you can operate. For example, wooden decks can be painted or stained, but concrete decks should always be stained. Generally, people stick to painting wooden decks as it gets the job done without burning a hole in the pocket.
The other thing that you have to take into account is the type of wood that has been used for your deck. We would recommend using a sheer deck stain if you have expensive hardwood. This specific texture will provide protection while also enhancing the natural grain of the wood. On the other hand, solid deck stains would be more suited for soft woods such as cedar.
Your House‘s Exterior Color Palette and Color Wheel Rules
Of course, the first thing you should do before buying a deck stain would be to take a long, hard look at your home. Consider the existing color combination that you have used and then refer to the color wheel to find out stain colors that could look good with your walls.
Try to opt for supportive stain colors as they tend to coordinate better with the home exterior. After all, you wouldn’t want your deck to look jarring now, would you? A good rule of thumb would be to use bold colors if you have a subtle color combination for your home whereas, lighter colors deck stains would go well with bright hues.
While you are at it, also consider your patio furniture. Modern and contemporary furniture works well when paired with darker stains like chocolate brown or dark grey. On the other hand, if you have wooden furniture, go for more sophisticated and neutral tones.
The Kind of Wood Grain Appearance You’d Want
Opacity is an important pointer for your deck. If you prefer a more natural look, you should opt for clear or translucent stains that enhance the natural grain with little to no color.
However, if you want to add more color and cover the natural wood grain, solid or semi-solid deck stains are what you should consider. Another plus point of solid stains is that they can be helpful to hide any imperfections or damage to your deck quite seamlessly.
There is also a semi-transparent variety available that gives you the chance to experience the best of both worlds. This stain type has a sheer finish with just the right hint of color to make it stand out.
The Total Usage of Your Deck Space
The deck is an outdoor space that will always have some wear and tear. The only difference is that sometimes this wear and tear will be more, sometimes it will be less.
Since our daily life is already so dynamic, the amount of time that we can dedicate to look after our deck becomes crucial. Thus, you should always be careful to consider the maintenance involved. While all decks need to be cleaned daily, periodical re-application may differ from one stain to another.
Solid colored deck stains are way more difficult to remove in comparison to neutral-colored deck stains. But then again, the former tends to have a dated look far more quickly as well. In the end, every choice has its own set of pros and cons. So, make a decision that would be best suited to your needs and preferences.
Patch Test the Deck Stain Before You Buy It
This is perhaps a completely foolproof way to help you get an idea of what the end result will be. In this case, you only need a sample of your deck and the stain you want to try out.
Apply a generous coat of the deck stain on the sample to inspect the accuracy. If you feel that the end result is satisfactory then congratulations, your deck stain search is now over. If not, you can always look for other options – as mentioned before, there are many dark stains options to choose from!
These are some tips from our side that could help you to find the best deck stain that coordinates well with your home. Also, try to research about deck stains in a bit more detail to make an informed choice. At first, it may look like you may need to take out a lot of time from your schedule, but in the long run, it will be you who’ll gain the most with a more lasting product that was worth the investment – both, in terms of money and time.
